Past Review
By Katherine P (Psychology, French, Wellesley College) for
Wellesley College: Aix-en-Provence - Wellesley-in-Aix
It was. I learned a lot about myself, most of which are things about myself that I'm not willing to share.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Université Aix-Marseille I, Institut d'Etudes Politiques |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The French system is much more about individual learning; one can only get out what one puts in. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
She was wonderfully accessible and eager to help sort out problems. My only complaint would be a general sense of disorganization; I cannot attribute it directly to her, but I see nowhere else to list it. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Fantastic. I can see why some students might consider living with a family, especially if their language skills were not strong to being with, but the apartments were sublime. <br /><br /> The apartments, unlike the families, were right in the center of town. They were fully furnished, including linen, which was professionally washed for us monthly. |
| * Food: |
I lived in France. If the food you're having there isn't fantastic, it's entirely your fault. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We went on two excursions per semester, and spent a month in Paris. We also had Thanksgiving dinner together. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
It is very safe. As in any city, I wouldn't recommend walking around alone late at night as a good pastime, but I walked between a friend's apartment and my own several times after 2 in the morning with absolutely no problems. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | The program gave me 500 Euro per month, and I probably spent around 400. The rest I used for travel. You could spend less, or much more. It's all about what you do, where you eat, and how you shop. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Travel is expensive, but who doesn't know that. Before leaving, it seemed like a luxury, but in fact it was a necessity. Visiting other places was a key part of the study abroad experience. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | FREN 211 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Anything that forces one to use the language, where falling back on English is not an option, is beneficial. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Absolutely do it. No matter how much you've traveled in the past, living abroad is a way to find out what another culture is really like in a way that would otherwise be impossible. Those who would benefit most include people who are convinced that where they are is the best place they could ever hope to be, and those who are afraid of spontaneity. |
